The Ruling on Denouncing Administrative Corruption Through the Media
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The questioner:
Naturally, this question, which I will read as it was submitted, says: Our honorable Shaykh, the ordinary citizen observes a number of forms of administrative and moral corruption and fraud in several government and non-government entities. What is the ruling on denouncing and condemning such corrupt manifestations through modern social media or even through some media programs, especially since our ruler (may Allah preserve him) asked everyone, upon assuming power, to offer advice and supplication, and asked officials to go out and speak to the citizens in the media? If we remain silent, does that count as silence in the face of evil? And if we speak out publicly, does that count as stirring up fitnah (trial, discord or temptation)? We are confused, O Shaykh. We ask for your guidance (may Allah preserve you).
The Shaykh:
The criterion is the outcome. If the condemnation in the media leads to good and benefit, and is not condemnation and harsh criticism, but rather advice in the sense of advising out of fear of Allah, abandoning what is forbidden, and abandoning sins and what is widespread, then it is general advice and does not single out so-and-so or so-and-so. So there is a difference between general advice and advice to individuals. Advice to individuals is directed to them, privately between the advisor and the advised. As for general advice, it is made public, no one is named in it, and the existing flaw or deficiency is explained so that it may be avoided, without anyone being named in that. Yes.
The questioner:
The people, O Shaykh, want the issue of appointments. They want to name a minister, name an emir, name a contractor, for example, whose projects are stalled, and so on. They are talking about the issue of appointing individuals by name.
The Shaykh:
Individuals by name? No, that leads to nothing but evil and bad suspicion of people. If you criticize a minister or someone else, you write to him, or call him, or go to him and advise him between you and him, or you report it to the official who is higher than him, if he is under a superior. Yes.
The questioner:
They say, for example, we tried with the officials, we wrote, we advised.
The Shaykh:
You tried, you fulfilled the duty upon you, my brother. You fulfilled the duty upon you, and your conscience is clear. Yes.
Naturally, this question, which I will read as it was submitted, says: Our honorable Shaykh, the ordinary citizen observes a number of forms of administrative and moral corruption and fraud in several government and non-government entities. What is the ruling on denouncing and condemning such corrupt manifestations through modern social media or even through some media programs, especially since our ruler (may Allah preserve him) asked everyone, upon assuming power, to offer advice and supplication, and asked officials to go out and speak to the citizens in the media? If we remain silent, does that count as silence in the face of evil? And if we speak out publicly, does that count as stirring up fitnah (trial, discord or temptation)? We are confused, O Shaykh. We ask for your guidance (may Allah preserve you).
The Shaykh:
The criterion is the outcome. If the condemnation in the media leads to good and benefit, and is not condemnation and harsh criticism, but rather advice in the sense of advising out of fear of Allah, abandoning what is forbidden, and abandoning sins and what is widespread, then it is general advice and does not single out so-and-so or so-and-so. So there is a difference between general advice and advice to individuals. Advice to individuals is directed to them, privately between the advisor and the advised. As for general advice, it is made public, no one is named in it, and the existing flaw or deficiency is explained so that it may be avoided, without anyone being named in that. Yes.
The questioner:
The people, O Shaykh, want the issue of appointments. They want to name a minister, name an emir, name a contractor, for example, whose projects are stalled, and so on. They are talking about the issue of appointing individuals by name.
The Shaykh:
Individuals by name? No, that leads to nothing but evil and bad suspicion of people. If you criticize a minister or someone else, you write to him, or call him, or go to him and advise him between you and him, or you report it to the official who is higher than him, if he is under a superior. Yes.
The questioner:
They say, for example, we tried with the officials, we wrote, we advised.
The Shaykh:
You tried, you fulfilled the duty upon you, my brother. You fulfilled the duty upon you, and your conscience is clear. Yes.
Source
لقاء مع المعلمين بالطائف 1434هـ — alfawzan.live (20:36)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.